1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a saddle type vehicle with a forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism. The present invention relates to a saddle type vehicle which is operated by a driver seated on a seat such as, for example, a motorcycle, a motor three-wheeler or a motor four-wheeler, and particularly to a vehicle having a forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism.
2. Description of Background Art
Conventionally, with respect to a saddle type vehicle with a forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism, a vehicle is known wherein a driving wheel and an engine for driving the driving wheel are mounted on a vehicle body frame and a seat for a driver is disposed above the engine. See, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Sho 64-56381. The engine has a main transmission for changing the speed of power from the engine and for transmitting the power of the changed speed to the driving wheel and a forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism capable of changing the direction of the power from the main transmission and transmitting the power of the changed direction.
In addition, as a forward/reverse rotation changeover mechanism, a mechanism which achieves a reduction in size, is compact and includes a reduction in the weight of a forward/reverse rotation changeover apparatus is conventionally known as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2007-198491. In the mechanism, a sun gear is fixed to an input power shaft driven to rotate in one direction, and a first pinion and a second pinion are incorporated between the sun gear and a ring gear. Further, a carrier for rotatably supporting the first pinion and the second pinion is integrated with an output power shaft, and the ring gear and the carrier are coupled to each other by a clutch to rotate the output power shaft in the same direction. On the other hand, the ring gear and a housing are coupled to each other by the clutch to rotate the output power shaft in the opposite direction to that of the input power shaft. Further, a mating clutch is used as the clutch for changing over the direction of rotation.
The conventional saddle type vehicle with a forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism described above has a problem since the output power shaft of the forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism is disposed in parallel to the input power shaft. Thus, the forward/reverse travel changeover mechanism has an increased size.
Further, since, in the conventional forward/reverse rotation changeover mechanism described hereinabove, the output power shaft is disposed on an extension of the input power shaft, there is a subject that, where the forward/reverse rotation changeover mechanism is connected to the main transmission of the engine of the saddle type vehicle, a support structure for the output power shaft to which an output sprocket (driving sprocket) is to be attached, upon which the load from the engine and the driving wheel act, is complicated and increased in size.